


The Stray

by Jay_Bird23



Category: Villains Series - V. E. Schwab
Genre: Audio Hallucination, Canon Typical Violence, Found Family, Hallucinations, Hearing Voices, Not a romance, Original Non Gendered Character, Visual Hallucinations, very brief though
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-11
Updated: 2019-11-11
Packaged: 2021-01-27 07:54:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,301
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21388699
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jay_Bird23/pseuds/Jay_Bird23
Summary: Victor always had a habit of picking up strays.
Comments: 1
Kudos: 4





	The Stray

**Author's Note:**

> PLEASE READ 
> 
> Hello! This is my first attempt at writing a character who experiences hallucinations. I mean no harm in my portrayal, so I apologize in advance if I get something wrong. I've done research to try and get everything accurate, but some things weren't discussed, so I took liberties. Seeing how some things aren't specified in my research, I don't feel comfortable putting a name to the reason why my character has hallucinations. They just do. Whatever mental illness they have can be speculated upon individually. Thank you.

He wasn’t supposed to get attached to anyone else. The whole point of leaving Mitch and Sydney was to untie himself from people that could be hurt when he’s around, not add more potential weak points. His intentions were good, but Victor’s always had a weakness for strays. Whether he means to or not, Victor seems to gather the lost or broken to himself like flies and somehow manages to keep them around. 

His current stray wasn’t intentional. He wasn’t even supposed to get involved with Adrik. They didn’t particularly serve a purpose and it took a while for both Victor and Adrik themelf to manage their abilities, but Victor could never seem to find a proper time to let them go. Now, almost a year later, it’s starting to feel like Victor doesn’t want to. Despite the ever-present threat of EON hanging over their head and his episodes always looming over the horizon, Victor finds himself breathing a bit easier with Adrik around. He chalks it up to him having gotten used to having someone around ever since he met Mitch, but he’ll never admit it.   
People are a chain, but chains can be weaponized in the right hands. 

At least that’s how he explains it. 

\- 10 months ago - 

Their meeting wasn’t planned in the slightest. Ever since he split from Mitch and Sydney, he hadn’t been able to access any databases of potential EOs. Meaning anyone around him could have been a threat from EON or a potential EO. Either way Victor was careful. He wouldn’t have called himself paranoid by any means, he was just very aware. Always counting heads when he went anywhere. Always looking for any tells EOs have. Always maintaining a distance around himself. Always taking hold of people’s nerves if they gave him a bad feeling. Always careful. 

When Adrik fell into his life (fell beside his life to be more specific), Victor was preparing to leave town. He had just finished wiping himself from the hotel he stayed at for the night when a couple of movers dropped a suitcase beside him. It’s zipper burst from the strain and, lo and behold, a person fell out. 

Victor’s first thought was how cliche the whole situation was. His second thought was how strange it was for the person not to react. The suitcase was at least two feet off the ground and they had hit the ground head first without so much as a flinch. Between the curiosity of wanting to know why they aren’t reacting and having to appear concerned to not draw attention to himself, Victor stopped walking. 

A crowd formed and the next three minutes exploded into chaos. 

Someone shouted at the two men and they pulled out guns, only managing to unholster them and take aim before Victor had seized their nerves. The gap Victor made provided a couple of the braver souls in the growing crowd enough time to tackle the men to the crowd and knock the guns from their hands. Victor stepped back and watched as at least three people called the police and a few went to check the person on the ground. Their panic grew when they received no response to their prodding and that caused Victor’s curiosity to grow. 

Was the person dead? They were thin enough to be considered a skeleton and pale enough for a ghost. The only reason Victor could tell they were alive was the thin line of blood that trailed down the side of their face when they were turned. Dead things never bled. 

It didn’t take Victor long to decide the kid had to be an EO. From what Victor knew about kidnappings, he couldn’t see the reason anyone would use enough sedative to render people completely unresponsive. They only needed to be out of it enough to not struggle, right? Besides, the kid didn’t look strong enough or healthy enough to put up any sort of fight, conscience or not. Why use so many drugs on such a small person? Victor wanted to find out. 

Victor only waited long enough to scan the name of the hospital off the side of the ambulance before he turned and eased himself into the shadows. He decided to wait a day before going to the hospital. He hoped that would be enough time for the drugs to wear off. 

\- 2 weeks ago - 

Adrik chews on the inside of their lip as they watch the world slip by the outside of the car. Victor can see the gears in their mind working on staying focused on the task he gave them, but he also sees it when their attention spaces out and their mind wanders off. On those occasions, Victor will tug at their nerves and bring them back to the present; not enough to hurt, but enough to draw their attention. They’ll blink and look at him before smiling apologetically and returning to their task. 

Victor almost feels bad at assigning them such menial mental tasks before they lapse into silence on car rides. At some points, it feels like Adrik hates getting them. The only reason neither of them voice their opinions because both of them know it’s essential. While Adrik does have a better hold on their abilities, they’re still wildly unpredictable. It’s not something either of them want to tempt fate with while driving. Not again anyway. So they’re assigned meaningless tasks to keep their mind occupied and, hopefully, focused in reality.

Today’s task is to count how many license plates have the letter A in them. They would have picked a vaguer letter for them to find, but that runs the risk of having Adrik losing interest and letting their mind wander. Not that their episodes are that easy to manage in the current situation, but Victor has found that keeping Adrik’s mind occupied helps reduce the intensity and frequency of Adrik’s episodes. Keeps them grounded in reality. 

Adrik stiffens in their seat and leans away from the window, which in turn causes Victor to stiffen and brace for something. After a full minute and a half, thirty more seconds than it usually takes for something to happen, he furrows his brow and glances over to Adrik. 

A wide expanse of water spreads itself across the horizon out the window, reminding Victor that they have crossed onto a bridge over the Mississippi River. It also reminds him that Adrik has only been in America for about a year and at least a month of that has been spent either in a drugged haze or some place dark and small. They haven’t seen America like Victor has in his seemingly endless travels. 

Victor notes the wonder in Adrik’s eyes as they scan the seemingly endless blue, the ghost of a smile sliding onto their face as the remainder of the tension eases from their muscles. In all the time they’ve spent together, Victor can’t think of any other time Adrik has looked so at peace. There always seemed to be an underlying tension that ran through Adrik’s being no matter the situation. Victor knows they trust him based off the little things that happened throughout their time together, but there was still a tension they couldn’t seem to shake even when they slept. 

Who knew a bit of water was all it took to calm the nerves. 

\- 10 months ago - 

Victor arrived at the hospital a few days later than he anticipated. Ever since he saw the fake movers, he couldn’t shake the feeling he was being watched. He was never one to be jumpy, but he still wasn’t sure his episodes have completely passed. He’s felt the tale-tell hum at the edge of his conscience for a while, but nothing had intensified in the past week. It didn’t mean he’s getting better, but he wasn’t getting worse. For that moment at least, he could write it off as tinnitus. That in mind, he kept his attention on high and took his time getting to the hospital, taking note of anyone who managed to get too close in crowds or let their eyes linger on him a bit too long. 

The main doors slid open just after visiting hours were supposed to end but no one was at the front desk to stop him from walking by and pushing into the stairway. He’s watched the place for a couple days before he made his way inside, noting the shift changes and guard patterns and waiting for a long enough gap to make his move. The night nurse stationed at the desk that night always took a bit too long in the bathroom, meaning he had at least four minutes to get inside without being noticed. Not that he needed that much time, he just wanted to ensure he wouldn’t have to waste energy on getting inside when he didn’t know what he faced with the new potential EO. 

It took him three and a half floors to find the needed room. Or the room he assumed to be the one he needed given how no other room needed police officers to stand guard outside. Victor didn’t waste any time in sending sharp bowel pains to both officers, sending both of them to the bathroom with a wordless agreement to never speak of their leaving. 

Victor made sure to direct everyone’s attention away from him as he made his way over to and inside the room, only lifting his attention from the ground when he had firmly shut and locked the door behind him. Once he was secure, Victor turned. 

He shouldn’t have been surprised to see the kid awake. He already figured the drugs wouldn’t have lasted that long without being redosed, but he can’t say he was prepared for them to be fully awake and on their feet when he stepped into the room. Their legs shook with the effort it took to keep upright and the harsh sway in their body only added to Victor’s assessment that this kid was weak. Yet there they were, eyes locked somewhere beyond Victor despite the fact they looked right at him. 

After a second their eyes focused and they finally saw Victor. The main emotion behind their eyes was confusion, followed closely by hesitation, then finally uncertainty. From Victor’s perspective, it looked like they were questioning everything that happened around them. Not that Victor could blame them given how out of it they were not twenty-four hours ago. Neither of them moved and no one spoke. Victor was just about to break the silence when fear overtook everything in the kid’s eyes and they took a shaky step back. Something moved in the corner of Victor’s eye and his attention snapped in that direction. 

A creature dropped silently from the ceiling beside him. Creature is the only way he was able to describe the thing that moved on all fours, its ash-colored skin stretched too tight over its too long bones while its too long head cracks to the side a bit too much. The kid took another step backwards as the creature stepped forward, passing by Victor without so much as a glance. There was a jerkiness to the creature’s movements that gave it the appearance of a skipping video and added to the wrongness of he felt around the being. The thing let its mouth hang open and a long, green tongue unfurled around its rotten teeth and dragged onto the floor.

The kid stiffened and their breath hitched, eyes flicking uncertainly between Victor and the creature in front of him. Victor’s own uncertainty grew at the situation and he decided he needed to act. If he protected the kid, they would see him as an ally and he would be one step closer to knowing their ability, if they even had one. That in mind, Victor reached for the nerves of the creature and seized. 

Nothing. The creature took another step forward toward the kid and left a trail of green slime in the places its tongue dragged. Victor tried its nerves again, a jolt of pain being added in attempt to- 

The creature disappeared and the kid cried out, a sound that startled Victor into releasing his hold on whatever nerves he had control of. The kid’s knees buckled and they dropped to the floor, a terrified look in their eyes as they examined Victor and the room around them. They’re chest rose and fell in a panic Victor had only seen in his victims and they spoke in rapid words Victor didn’t understand. Victor guessed Russian, but the way they tripped over every word themself left him guessing. 

After a whole minute of their babbling and Victor not understanding, the kid stopped and Victor saw them as they were. Small. Alone. Weak. Hollow and malnourished. Scared. Pleading. Hesitant. Questioning. Practically a child. Broken. Lost. 

Victor got a brief flashback of when he and Mitch stumbled across Sydney for the first time. How betrayed and hurt she looked after being betrayed by the only person she trusted in the world. After she was nearly killed by Eli for being an EO. The same look that this kid wore as they looked at Victor. 

The decision was made before Victor had time to process the question. 

\- 1 1/2 week ago - 

Adrik fell asleep before they reached the state border. Not that Victor minds at all. Adrik hasn’t been getting the proper amount of sleep for the past three days, about six in total if Victor recalls correctly, but the number is shaky to both of them. Nightmares and replays of past traumas combined with visions of terrible creatures usually render Adrik shaky, near tears, and unable to sleep the rest of the night. While flare ups in cars aren’t rare for them, they seem to be easier to brush off and deem unreal than when stuck in one place. 

Victor lets them sleep. He was never planning on waking them in the first place, but it’s easier to have them sleep in the car than it is to get them to sleep in hotels. Many a night have been spent trying to convince Adrik the creatures aren’t real and no one is going to hurt them. None of their visions can hurt them and no real person can hurt them while Victor is around. He knows they know that, but it’s hard to convince someone of something they’ve been dealing with their whole life. 

Since no one is there to tell him no, Victor continues forward without a destination in mind but a time limit set. He’s going to need to sleep soon, he knows that. He’s stayed up with Adrik when their episodes become too much to handle alone. There’s no way he’s more tired than Adrik, but he is tired nonetheless. He gives himself until nightfall before he’s going to call it a night. For now, Adrik can rest. 

\- 8 1/2 months ago - 

It took Victor a month to convince the kid he was real and, honestly, Victor couldn’t blame them. When a lot of things in life only exist in one’s head, it’s hard to determine what’s real and what’s not. Victor didn’t help the situation either. His nerve induced bubble meant no one touched, looked at, or otherwise interacted with him unless he intentionally drew attention to himself. Trying to convince the kid of his realness when he didn’t interact with anyone but them wasn’t working and they eventually started treating him like another one of their hallucinations. Ignoring him as best they can unless he touched them. 

The only time the kid believed him was when he spoke to others. Be it as a translator for food (learning English was a struggle) or any other interactions that needed to be done in daily life, it all awed the kid. Gave them hope that Victor was real and not just another figment of their imagination. But then days would pass with only each other as company and Victor would lose them again. 

Drastic measures were needed, so Victor let his guard down for a week. 

Not necessarily down, but he allowed people closer. Dropped his bubble so that people could brush against him, bump him in passing, nearly trip over him when he sat and spread his legs. Or at least low enough to make it appear that that’s what was happening. No one ever touched him, but they got close enough to look like it happened and he willed them away at the last second. 

The kid ate it up. Not only did they draw closer to Victor physically and emotionally, they allowed Victor to learn about them, study them if you would, and Victor learned a lot. 

Frist, Victor learned the kid’s name. It took a while due to the language barrier with them being Russian, but it had to happen eventually. He just wished it didn’t take a week for it to do so. And thus, Adrik Rybakov was properly introduced into his life. 

Second, Adrik was a quick study. It didn’t take long for both of them to realize the language barrier between them was vast and annoying and lead to many, many stunted arguments. Luckily for everyone involved, Adrik was very good at learning and very eager to do so. By the third week of their being together, Adrik was able to ask questions and hold conversations outside of food and directions. 

Third, he learned that Adrik’s hallucinations were visual and audible. There were many times during their travels when they would stop in the middle of walking and refuse to move any further in the needed direction, attention fixed on a spot that looked empty until Victor looked twice. Only then would he see whatever creature or off-putting person Adrik didn’t want to cross. Despite Victor’s repeated and often annoyed assurances, Adrik wouldn’t proceed any further until they changed course. They would also hold full conversations in empty rooms until Victor would point out the lack of responder and end it for them.

Finally, Adrik’s ability was to project their hallucinations. Creatures like the one Victor saw in the hospital, brutal deaths, sirens, screams, voices in general. By the time Victor fully understood the hallucinations weren’t coming from his own mind from sleep deprivation or another side effect of his repeated dying, he was sure he was going to kill something. It didn’t take him long to figure out Adrik was the source of his troubles and for a while, he believed Adrik was intentionally putting images and sounds in his head. While the course changing and one-sided conversations were interruptive, Adrik never seemed bothered by having to do them. After a while, Victor believed Adrik was doing it all to spite him.

Victor only accepted their helplessness to the situation when he woke up in the middle of the night to Adrik’s panic attack. The hotel room they shared was small enough for Victor to hear any sort of movement on the other side of the room, meaning Adrik’s fall from their bed was more than enough to get Victor on his feet and get the light on. Adrik’s wild, unfocused eyes found him quickly then quickly flicked back to the open space beyond the bed. Victor didn’t see anything at first, just Adrik muttering in quick Russian and shaking their head pleadingly from the floor. They then looked to Victor for help and he saw. 

A man, taller than Victor and just as broad as Mitch, aimed a weapon at Adrik’s head, his voice muffled as if he was speaking through syrup. The heavy Russian didn’t help but Victor could make an educated guess on what he was saying. Adrik’s eyes shined with tears as pleaded with their assailant, scrambling back against the wall and pressing their eyes closed as incomprehensible nonsense flowed from their lips. The assailant, real or not, smiled cruelly and the gun went off. 

Despite knowing what he was seeing was fake, Victor cringed as if it were real. The sound resonated as if it were and Adrik’s babbling choked to a stop as if they were hit. 

And then he was gone. 

Neither of them moved for a long time, Adrik out of fear and Victor out of thought. Adrik’s power, like many, was unique. In all of his travels, he’s never experienced a power where someone can make another question their own reality. It was fascinating. Intrusive and jarring, but fascinating. However, this was also the point in which Victor realized Adrik had no control over their projections. In fact, it looked like they were struggling with a hallucination and only turned to Victor for help. Which meant Adrik had been asking for help for about a month and Victor did nothing. 

Victor suddenly felt very unqualified and unprepared for the situation. Back in his college days, he studied to be a medical doctor. Even all of his training combined couldn’t help him help Adrik. How did one help someone with traumatic hallucinations? What kind of medications were needed? How would he get them? 

Whatever it took, Victor had decided to help when he broke Adrik out of the hospital and he was going to see it through if only to gain another ally and help Adrik learn to weaponize their abilities. 

At least, that’s how Victor explained it. 

\- 1 week ago - 

Victor flips the next page of his book and scratches out the entire first line, not catching any inspiration in the supposedly motivational self-help book. Not his parents’ book this time, but it still had an overly perky appearing couple on the front that sparked a familiar wave of annoyance in him and he felt he didn’t have a choice in the matter. His choice was made easier after he realized that the book was on a discount table in front of a popular bookstore. A terrible decision on their end, but at least now they don’t have to worry about trying to sell it. 

He glances up from his book as Adrik takes a sip of their coffee and frowns, shaking their head slightly and mumbling an inaudible comment to something Victor can’t hear. Not an uncommon occurrence, obviously, and Adrik doesn’t seem concerned about the conversation they’re having. Other than the frown lines around their eyes (which could be contributed to their coffee since they asked for black to spite Victor earlier), they seem more contemplative than fearful. Whatever conversation is being held doesn’t seem like the typical topic of threats or talk of some eminent tragedy. He might not know what’s going on, but Victor doesn’t feel the need to step in and end. 

It’s been recently revealed that Victor has started to appear in Adrik’s hallucinations. Second Victor, as they both designated him, is usually the one who comes to Adrik when they’re trying to debate something.The logical spot in the usual chaos in their mind. Victor would have been flattered, except Second Victor nearly led Adrik toward a busy intersection and Victor himself had to keep them from being killed. That was the day Victor established the rule that whatever Victor said to do must be confirmed at least twice before the plan is set. Of course things still get sticky since Adrik has trouble telling the Victors apart, but it’s better than being led into traffic. 

Adrik looks away from their drink and locks eyes with Victor, allowing him to see and hear what they do. As expected, Second Victor sits in his own chair at the table beside Adrik. He doesn’t look at original Victor when he enters the fray, too caught up in the point he’s trying to get across. It always takes a moment for Victor to get used to having another voice in his head even if it’s his own, and even then it sounds like he’s hearing things like he’s underwater. 

Second Victor is talking about leaving. Sneaking out during the night and leaving Victor before he can leave them. Leaving before Victor realizes he doesn’t want them. They aren’t wanted where Victor’s going, so why bother? 

Victor frowns deeply and waves his hand, pulling Adrik from their hallucination and gets them to focus on him fully. As usual, it takes a couple seconds to realize the shift from mind to reality and they glance between original Victor and the space where Second Victor was. Once the clarification is made and they realize they were talking to themself, they offer Victor a tired smile and finally set their mug aside. Victor does catch them shoot a few quick looks around the area to ensure themself that no one is looking at them. They’ve managed to control the volume of their conversations, but they are aware of how they loud they can get if the situation rises. 

Security is achieved and Adrik returns their attention to Victor

He could assure them that no matter what happens, he’ll always bring them with him. But that would be a lie. Life is unpredictable and that was the same thing he told Sydney before he left her and Mitch. He could assure them that he doesn’t think they’re a burden or a bother or anything else Second Victor may have told them. But he won’t. Adrik already knows that. Victor’s told them so many times his tongue refuses to form the words anymore. Besides, they would have been gone a long time ago if he wanted them to be. Adrik knows that too. 

Since everything that needs to be said has been and he can’t make any more promises he can’t promise he’ll keep, he reaches across the table and rubs their head much as he would have Dol. Adrik enjoys it, though, and relaxes at the contact. Physical contact is grounding for them since it is one of the differences between reality and hallucination. Despite what their mind makes them believe, their visions can’t touch them. Adrik smiles and lets their eyes close with their joy. After a second, Victor does too. 

\- 5 months ago - 

It was a bad day. 

Adrik couldn’t leave the bathroom most of the day in fear of whatever visions they were seeing. It had gotten to the point where Victor had to add an extra day to their hotel stay because Adrik wouldn’t come out. The light wasn’t on and Victor thought they fell asleep a couple times, but then he’d hear them talking to someone or something would move and break his assumption. 

It had been two hours since the last sound. Victor would say he was worried, but he knew some days would be like this. They couldn’t afford to get any medication to help with their hallucinations and Victor wasn’t qualified to handle mental illness. Plus he’s not even sure they would accept medicine knowing their track record with drugs and other medical stuff. He knew getting involved with Adrik would probably lead to some inconveniences. He knew mental illness wasn’t clean or manageable some days and there wasn’t going to be anything he would be able to do to help. He just needed to wait it out and see what they needed. 

However, at the two and a half mark of the most recent silence, he started to get concerned. All of the previous silences were never this long. The silence was getting to be unsettling. He muted the news channel and called in the direction of the bathroom. Nothing. His brow pulled together and he tried again. Still nothing. 

Mild curiosity shifted to concern and he set his book aside, calling out once more before he shifted off the bed and moved to the bathroom. He knocked on the door once he reached it and waited for the response that didn’t come. There wasn’t even the usual sounds of jumbled Russian muttering or someone moving that always let Victor know they were ok in the past. Complete silence is unsettling. 

Not really expecting much, Victor tried the knob and frowned in confusion when it opened. It took a moment for his eyes to adjust to the darkness and another few seconds before he found Adrik sitting motionless in the bathtub, knees pulled to their chest and as they stared into nothing. Adrik wasn’t one to sleep with their eyes open, so Victor knew they were awake, which made the lack of reaction a bigger concern than it already was. He called Adrik once more. Nothing. 

Victor moved from the threshold to kneel beside the bathtub then lightly tapped Adrik on the shoulder. They jerked violently and choked out a yelp at the contact just before their eyes found his. There was the usual fear and hesitation in their eyes, but there was also a new emotion. A bone deep exhaustion followed closely by a mild relief. Physical contact meant reality. 

Whatever was happening seemed to end when Victor got their attention, letting them relax enough to put their head against the back wall of the tub. Victor watched as they fully relaxed and let their legs out in front of them, taking up most of the space in the tub as they slid to lie at the bottom. At that point Adrik had been in the bathroom for almost a full eight hours and Victor can’t tell how much of that was because of their hallucinations preventing them from leaving or general depression keeping them in place. 

He offered a hand and Adrik stared for a moment. These moments were always key in their growing relationship. The moments after a major episode where Adrik needed Victor most. Someone to help ground them. Someone to project to and have their fears validated and then confronted and overcome. That person at that moment was Victor. He had been for almost five months now. While Victor wasn’t thrilled at the idea of playing such a crucial role in someone’s life, he had slowly grown accustomed to having someone depending on him. Yes, Sydney was pretty dependent on him in the past, but she never lost touch with reality in the way Adrik did. He was better than he was in the beginning and Adrik seems to trust him as a base in reality. 

Adrik slowly extended their own hand and accepted Victor’s, allowing him to guide them to a sit and then up and out of the tub. The duo stood for a moment as Adrik gathered a better grip on the world around them, then they nodded at Victor and followed him out of the bathroom as they muttered a quick something about wanting to eat. 

\- 2 hours ago -

Victor never understands how people can read in a moving car. He always ends up getting motion sick and lightheaded if he even looks at his cell phone while moving, so reading a book is completely out of the question. So hearing Adrik flip another page in their book brings up all the repressed jealousy he didn’t know he had. Telling them to stop reading isn’t an option, mostly because it’s keeping them focused and they haven’t complained about being hungry in two hours. He only wishes he had the same ability they did. 

Adrik furrows their brow and flips back a page. Then forward. Then back. Then forward again. They then grumble a few words Victor knows are Russian swears before slamming the book shut and tossing it to the backseat. Victor understands. His parents’ self help books have never been his cup of tea either, but Adrik insisted on reading it when he warned them not to. At least he has another book to black out when the need arises. 

The two have been in the car for four hours with two hours left until they reach their destination. Victor doesn’t feel nervous for their arrival, he never does. He knows he can handle whatever gets thrown at him and he knows he can keep Adrik safe if needed. Not that he suspects he’ll need to, but life has never been predictable for him. Meaning any time he could feel potentially relaxed could end in disaster if he loses his focus. Especially when he’s in public with EON still looking for him. The meeting location is on a main road, however, so that does give them an out if things do take a turn. 

On the other hand, Adrik is terrified. Not outright like they get when they have their episodes, but nervous nonetheless. Their leg bounces rapid fire in the passenger seat and Victor swears they’re going to pick their nails bloody if they don’t stop soon. He swats their hand to keep them from doing so, but Victor understands why they’re nervous. New people can be hard when you have a condition like Adrik. Still, they agreed to the meeting and haven’t complained this far. They’re still going to worry, though. That’s just a fact of life. 

Victor reminds them about the other book they have in the back and Adrik perks up, twisting in their seat to grab their bag from the floor. After the few seconds it takes for Adrik to get the book, they turn and settle back against their seat with their knees against the dashboard and starts reading. As much as Victor wants to tell them to sit properly and get their knees off the dash, he knows they enjoy the ability to move around on their own. Besides, they’re not going to be in the car that long and Victor’s a good driver. They’re safe. 

\- 1 month ago - 

For the first time in about two years, Adrik screamed. 

Pain. Anger. Frustration. Sadness. Hurt. Joy. Confusion. Tired. Just for the pleasure of getting to scream. Whatever the reason was, Victor let them have their moment. He got the idea not long after their breakdown and scouted a location not long after. When they got a chance, he got them there and told them to let it out. That’s the best thing about driving in the midwest. Endless fields. 

Victor himself rested against the front of the car and watched Adrik have their release. Some might have said he was living vicariously through them but watching, but he would have told them to fuck off. Victor’s emotions sharpen his decisions and keep him focused. Any sort of release would have thrown him off and made him unfocused on the main goal. 

At least that’s how he’d explain it. 

The real reason he watched was to make sure they didn’t pass out after the strain, but also to make sure they were ok if they did. Major emotional strains had the same effect on the body as exercise and Adrik was just entering the healthy weight zone, meaning their bodily reaction was unpredictable. Nevertheless, Victor knew they needed it. 

As he watched Adrik scream, a surprise wave of emotion hit Victor. An unfamiliar longing for a home he didn’t know he had. A home he made and couldn’t shake after all this time. A home he’s wanted to get back to for a while now. Adrik has made him long for his strays and want to combine it with his new addition. He missed Mitch and Sydney. 

Before he could stop himself, Victor pulled his burner from his pocket and began dialing. He only knew one number by heart and his fingers found the buttons without him having to think about it. Up until then, Victor had been able to control his emotions and kept himself from doing exactly what he was doing. However, watching Adrik break their barriers and let themself go seemed to have struck a chord with him. 

He hit dial and held the phone to his ear, quietly hoping the number he called was still in service but preparing himself in case it wasn’t. No one but he, Mitch, and Sydney knew the number, so he hoped Mitch maintained the line and would answer the unknown number. 

The line connected after the third ring. 

\- now -

Twenty-three miles outside of Merit, Victor Vale pulls up on the shoulder of the interstate behind a black pick-up truck. Sydney notices him first, looking up from watching Dol use the bathroom and grinning widely at him. Even at this distance, Victor can see the joyful tears spring into her eyes as she calls for Mitch and leads her black beast back. Mitch turns from the driver’s seat of the truck and he, too, smiles at Victor. The gesture, while small, twists the already straining knot tighter in Victor’s chest. Neither of them have changed much beyond Sydney’s new wig and Mitch’s reading glasses. They’re still his strays, just as Victor hoped. 

He’s home. 

Adrik exhales slowly and sits straighter in their seat, nervously glancing at Victor for instruction and failing to be casual about it. Instead of using words, Victor simply meets their eyes and nods reassuringly before he kills the engine and undoes his seatbelt. Behind the hesitation in Adrik’s eyes is trust, and the trust solidifies as they return the nod and unbuckles their own seatbelt and follows Victor out of the car. 

Victor is barely around the front before Sydney is on him, her arms locking around his neck as she buries her face in his shoulder. Mitch makes his way up behind her and meets Victor’s eyes, letting Victor see his excitement at the reunion without the full body experience Sydney is giving him. The smile is returned and Victor offers up a wink before releasing Sydney and holding her at arm’s distance, using an arm to motion Adrik forward and glancing between his new trio once they reach the group. 

“Mitch. Syd. This is Adrik.”

**Author's Note:**

> So yeah. This was a first for many reasons for me. First Villains fic. First attempt at portraying Hallucinations. First time writing without dialogue a majority of the time. Yeah!
> 
> If anyone is interested in this story or seeing more of Adrik and the Strays, I do have a few ideas for short fics or flash fics I have waiting, so let me know. 
> 
> Anyway, thanks for reading! Please leave comments and/or kudos and have a good time guys! Yeah!


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